Month: May 2017

When the federal riding boundaries were redrawn before the 2015 election, Kitchener—Conestoga Green Party candidate David Weberand what had been the #KitCon riding association moved to the new riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler. When the election was called earlier than expected, Elmira resident Bob Jonkmanwas asked to stand for election. And so he did.

Bob had began getting politically active since volunteering to help with the 2007 Ontario Electoral Reform Referendum, and becoming increasingly involved with Fair Vote Canada’s Waterloo Region Chapter over the years. He moderated Fair Vote events like the 2011 Nuclear Debate, becoming a regular fixture at Fair Vote information tables throughout the summer festival season.

But even so, running for election was an entirely new experience. The learning curve was a lot less painful than it might have been because the Waterloo Greens invited the other four Green Party Associations to share an office and pool our resources. The arrangement worked out so well, the five riding associations decided to make it permanent with the establishment of our umbrella group, Waterloo Region Greens. We’ve been working on establishing a Green presence in Waterloo Region between times. The thing is, you don’t stop being Green between elections. Green isn’t just the colour of sustainable politics, its a lifestyle, too.

I thinkBob was a natural, so it’s very likely he will run again. And in the meantime we’re keeping the conversation about Green issues going, both online and off..

Right now is a pretty exciting time in the Green Universe with the BC Greens having elected the first Provincial Caucus in Canada, and it’s been made more exciting by the fact the BCGreens may well end up holding the balance of power in the minority government. It would be awesome to see some serious democratic reform in BC, finally.